Full steam aHEED for Gateshead
Gateshead Football Club have had a solid start to their season both in the league and cup competitions.
Mike Williamson’s men are looking to push for promotion and work their way back to the fifth tier of the football league pyramid.
Williamson’s team have started the season off in fine form, currently sitting only six points behind the league leaders AFC Fylde but with two games in hand.
Gateshead who competes in the Vanarama National league have also reach the FA Cup first round where they’ll welcome Altrinham of the Conference Premier to Gateshead International Stadium on 6th November.
After what has been a rocky few years for Gateshead, the football club seem to have found stability in player-manager Williamson.
The former Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers central defender has been able to implement his own style of play as well as using his knowledge of the game to help develop the players within the squad over the last three seasons both as a player and manager.
Gateshead were members of the Conference National League which is now known as the Conference Premier for 10 years after gaining promotion in the 2008-2009 season.
The club almost won promotion to League 2 back in 2014 but were beaten 2-1 by Cambridge United in the play-off final.
However after 10 years in the Conference National league the club was demoted from football’s fifth tier to the National League North due to financial issues and a breach of league rules back in May 2019.
Gateshead on the pitch performed well despite unrest in the boardroom – the club finished the season ninth before being hit with a nine point deduction leaving them in 18th place overall.
The Heed’s fans finally got their wishes of new owners that same summer after witnessing the clubs relegation – Neil Pinkerton and Trevor Clark’s fan led consortium taking the resigns from Dr Ranjan Varghese and Joseph Cala.
After a Covid hit 2020-2021 campaign the season was finally declared null and void – Williamson’s men finished in a respectable 10th position after only 14 games – 14 points from top spot but with four games in hand on Gloucester City.
Gateshead have started the 2021-2022 season in great form currently unbeaten at home, winning five of their eight league fixtures with only one defeat to their name, leaving them currently in sixth place in the league.
One obstacle the club will need to overcome throughout the season should they want to challenge for promotion is keeping hold of their key players such as top goal scorer Macaulay Langstaff, striker Cedwyn Scott and midfielder Grey Olley.
Langstaff has notched up an impressive 10 goals and five assists, while Scott has added eight goals and four assists to his name in their first 12 appearances – midfielder Greg Olley leads the way with assists, the play-maker has six to his name so far.
Gateshead might be second with most goals in the league but any successful team also needs a resilient defence – Gateshead currently boast the sixth best defence this season an area Williamson knowns a thing or two himself about.
Gateshead a club looking to push on and progress further than they have done before will need to keep showing they are ambitious – The early signs show they have a manager capable of taking the club forward but with that the club will need to continue backing his plans.
An interesting few months are in store for the club, and come May we would like to be celebrating a successful promotion, leaving the club one step away from being back amongst the non-league elite.
